Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-10

Catholic with an intelligent under
distinguish between his church itsel
aud the Individuals who may happeI
to hold it's dignities; between what he
believes to be the divine element and
what he knows to be the human ele
ment. Catholic teaching is not the re-
ligion OF Ignorance that the prtjudices
of many ProIestants lead them TO sup
pose. That form of Christianity which
for centuries held undisputed sway in
in western Christendom, and which,
taking Christianity as whole, is to
other forms of il what the river is TO
the rivulet, has embraced among its
adherents men of the widest learning,
the most acute intellect, the highest
virtue and the truest patriotism-men
who could not possibly have rested in
a faithss which gave no scope to indi-
vidual liberty and which made Its vo-
taries i'll all things the mere puppets
of those who pulled the ecclesiastical
strings. Catholic statesmen have re-
sisted ecclesiastical interference, Cath
olic soldiers have fought against their
| temporal domination, and Catholic
poets and painters have not hesitated
10 picture the highest dIgnitaries of the
church as finding their just deserts in
hell. The Pope himself is, in Catholic
| theology, only man like other men,
| ~ % in
tiles, and the same liabilities to err and
| sin which alta ch to all mankind. 1t
| is only in his official character, when
| speaking er cdthedra, as head of the
any particular sanctity attaches to him
and to his utterances. In all other re-
lations and capacities the Pope may be
criticised as freely by the Catholics as
| though he were 10 Pope.
"And what is true Of the people is,
of course, true of any lesser dignity.
However much individual ecclesiastics
may presume to stretch their authority,
or however much attachment to the
church may prompt Catholics to resent
criticism which they believe to be
founded on malice, no Catholic theolo-
gian can rightfuliy teach that the au-
| thority Catholic pastors derive from
church can extend further than to
things spiritual. or that these pastors
themselves are exempt from criticism
and resistance the moment they over
step the line which separates matters
of faith and doctrine from matters that
| belong to reason and are of secular con-
Germ. 4 man may be an ardent Cath
olic and yet criticise in these respects
the action of priest, bishop, cardinal or
pope Just as freely as an ardent Repub-
lican may criticise Republican ad-
ministration. Of course, in one case
the cry is quite as likely to go up that
he Is a lad Catholic and is against the
church, as in the other he is bad
Republican and against the party. But
, as ma tier of fact, every one who has
| mixed with intelligent Catholics know
that they do criticise the actions of
priests, bishops, cardinals, and even
the Pope himself, with the utmost free
dom. Aud this freedom which Catho-
lies claim for themselves they cannot
fairly deny TO Others"
| This is calculated 10 raise rather than
lower the church in the estimation of
mont Catholics, and the only passage
| that could be construed as against the
church is where Mr.. George tells work.
men that in their struggle for liberty
they may count upon the opposition of
the Catholic hierarchy. But here he
refers only to individuals who holding
the highest offices in the church have
shown a strong disposition to play
cats-paw for European and especially
| British aristocracy. Irish bishops have
been called to Rome on account of epin-
| ions on the land questions, expressed
| as citizens and individuals and not as
| % ris SIS: hut Irish clerics still remain
ardent and open friends of Mr.. George.
The bishops of Dublin, Meath and
Cashcl have spoken, and continue to
speak in language diametrically oppo-
site to that of Corrigan, but while he
has presumed to dictate to Catholics
what opinions they should hold in re-
gard to secular matter, these Irish
bishops speak only as individuals back
ed by the influence of their personal
aud not their clerical characters.
| Let the Star and all those "who
would rather hunt with the dogs than
be hunted with the hare" know that
the land question is live sensible issue
here, as elsewhere. and that not many
years will pass before all taxation will
rest upon appropriation and not pro-
duction. FARMER.
Murrayyille. Ill, Feb. Sd, 1857.
/ Pedagogy.